ULTRASONOGRAPH

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide image processing showing a timewise change in the form of a target region. SOLUTION: An ultrasonic image forming part 20 forms a fundamental wave image and a higher harmonics image as ultrasonic images and a binarization processing part 22 applies binarization processing using a threshold value to the higher harmonics image of an ultrasonic wave and discriminates between an image region relatively high in brightness and an image region relatively low in brightness. A contrast region specification part 24 specifies a contrast medium region from the image region relatively high in brightness selected by the binarization processing and utilizes labelling processing to specify the contrast medium region. A display image forming part 26 applies display processing showing the timewise change in the form of the contrast medium to the higher harmonics image specified in the contrast medium region and further utilizes the fundamental wave image obtained from the ultrasonic image forming part 20 to form a display image. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT